Imran’s post on Afghans ‘bid to garner sympathy’

Solangi says move probably an attempt to influence election

QUETTA:

Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan is not allowed to issue statements on social media platform X from jail but still he issued one in favour of the illegal Afghans which appears to be an attempt to garner the sympathy of the interim Afghan government as well as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

A statement posted on Thursday by Imran, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail, criticised the treatment allegedly being meted out to Afghan refugees.

Highlighting traditional and historical links between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Imran said that it was a national obligation to treat the Afghan refugees with respect.

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“Pakistan has accommodated Afghan refugees for 40 years and the effects of decades of hospitality are being wasted due to ineffective strategy.”

Imran said that 1.5 million refugees were not that much of a burden on a population of 250 million.

Addressing a news conference on his three-day visit to Quetta, Minister Solangi said, “No force has been applied to deport the illegal foreigners from Pakistan.”

Solangi was accompanied by caretaker Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai.

“An attempt has been made to garner the sympathies of Afghanistan and the TTP from the statement,” the federal minister said. “The sympathies of the extremists will probably be an attempt to influence the election.”

Solangi said that the PTI founder was not allowed to post anything on social media platform X. “I am not sure if any of the statements have been posted by him (Imran) or by someone in his circle.”

Solangi said that he was happy to come to Balochistan. “In the conditions in which the caretaker government got the country … it will be improved and handed over to the elected government.”

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He said that good news was coming from economic point of view. “The stock market has crossed 66,000 points. Pakistan is on the agenda of the IMF board on Jan 11. The country is moving towards economic stability. The dollar rate fell today also.”

The caretaker federal minister said, “It is our responsibility to fulfil the requirements of the Election Commission. Elections will be organised together with the provincial governments, which will be held in the country on Feb 8.

“Free, impartial, and transparent elections are our commitment. There should be no ambiguity about it. The caretaker federal government has limited powers and duration. The news about postponement of elections on Feb 8 is wrong.”

Solangi said that every party struggled for its share in elections. In a political culture, he said, the oppressed and the complainers try to gain sympathy. “A level-playing field is demanded. Complaints happen in a democracy. The PTI is a registered party and represented on state television.”